Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 66 Issue 05 i Australian Motorcycle News

IF THERE’S ONE criticism to be made of Ducati’s fun, stylish and oh-so successful Scrambler it’s that for all the style and monikers it isn’t really much of a scrambler – it’s not designed with off-road use in mind. But that’s about to change with a new version spotted on test by our eagle-eyed snapper. Though it’s not the clearest of images, it’s enough to reveal this is something quite different to any of the Scramblers Ducati has offered so far. The typical swirly camouflage vinyl hides what little bodywork there is, but the bright yellow flashes on the seat suggest this is a machine inspired by 1980s off-roaders rather than being taken from the 1960s. It also has longer-travel suspension than any current version of the bike, and there’s…

UNFORTUNATELY, THIS DUSTBIN-fairing version of Moto Guzzi’s California Eldorado won’t be coming to a showroom near you anytime soon, but a collaboration between Numbnut Motorcycles, Vanguard Clothing and Moto Guzzi has resulted in this gorgeous tribute to the firm’s iconic V8-powered GP racer. It’s the result of the trio putting their bike-loving heads together in search of a marketing stunt to coincide with the launch of Vanguard’s latest pair of fashion jeans called, aptly, V8. Mechanically identical to its Moto Guzzi California donor bike, this machine has been given a classic look through meticulous and mostly handmade customising of existing and added componentry. According to the motorcycle’s builders, Numbnut Motorcycles, aftermarket accessories for the big Italian cruiser are few and far between, which forced the firm to become “pretty inventive”…

THE YOU ARE My Sunshine (YAMS) foundation has again been named as the official charity for this year’s Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, and with less than $60,000 needed to reach its $1 million goal, the volunteer-run group is counting down to the event. “The finish line is now in sight, and I can’t wait to race our way to the $1 million target and go out with a bang at this year’s event,” Jude Donahoo said. Jude established the Foundation after she lost her granddaughter Khalilla to the childhood cancer neuroblastoma. “Neuroblastoma is the most common solid tumour outside the brain affecting infants and young children. It’s horrible for these little children and their families to experience, and the YAMS Foundation gives me hope we can make a positive impact…

IF YOU HAVE ever secretly envied those children with bright flashing LED lights in their shoes, then an American-based crowdfunding campaign just might have the product for you. What started out as a simple alternative to a traditional riding boot has resulted in ROAME Zeros: a pair of high-top sneakers with inbuilt and wireless brake lights and indicators. A strip of LEDs run around the base of the shoe. The outside lights are orange, like your indicators, while the inside strip closest to the motorcycle is red, like your brake lights. While the ROAME Zeros may at first appear to have great safety benefits, the idea of having red and amber flashing light on a rider as well as the motorcycle itself is already polarising opinion. What cannot be argued,…

The 1215cc engine makes the Explorer the most powerful shaft-driven bike in its class Trumpy tune In making the new Explorer Euro 4 compliant, Triumph has reduced the size of the standard exhaust by 28 per cent. Youngy’s XCA featured the optional Arrow silencer, which ups power by around 2.2kW and reduces weight by 2.3kg. Inside and out As well as being one massive unit, the Explorer’s engine is carefully detailed with a wet-painted cover and black crinkle-effect cases. Elsewhere on the bike the frame boasts titanium coloured powder coating. For those about to rock... Extra protection is available. The XCX model shown here comes with an aluminium sump guard, stainless radiator guard and engine protection bars. They got a good workout during the launch ride. The big screen…

Suzuki won its last premier-class championship in 2000, with Kenny Roberts Junior riding an RGV500. It was the factory’s first title success since Kevin Schwantz had won the 1993 crown and it came against the flow of Honda and Yamaha hegemony. So what happened in 2000? Was it Roberts Junior’s talent that overcame Valentino Rossi on Honda’s NSR and Max Biaggi on Yamaha’s YZR, or was it something bigger than that? While it cannot be denied that Kenny Roberts Junior played a major part in that success, much more happened on the other side of the pit wall. When KRJR left his father’s Modenas Team Roberts squad at the end of 1998, he took with him racer-turned-engineer Warren Willing, whose brilliant understanding of motorcycle dynamics had helped the team achieve…

Add an extreme rain forecast, plus arboreal detritus littering the road THE TEAMS Road Warriors Our genuine learner, Super-Sub Mark Vender, is still far too green to send on an off-road excursion, so he was teamed up with Designer Daz to take the road touring route. But that didn’t mean all would be easy for Team Road Warrior. Their route would take in around 350km of some of Victoria’s finest scratching roads, a veritable rumpled ribbon of tyre-ripping tarmac, including Reefton Spur, Lake Mountain road, and the Eildon-Jamieson road. This single journey would probably double Mark’s lifetime cornering experience in one hit, so we equipped him with one of the fastest, finest and nimblest-handling LAMS bikes money can buy: Triumph’s Street Triple 660. Daz is an experienced rider and has…

The Classic 500 proved to be riding enjoyment at its best WHEN I WAS GREETED by the Royal Enfield Classic at the start line of our LAMS multi-bike adventure ride, I knew some of my companions had already prejudged the air-cooled, 499cc single-seater, possibly even taking pity on me. I knew otherwise, and so it proved. Painted in Battle Green and looking every inch an extra from The Great Escape, it instantly brought a smile to my face which didn’t abate throughout the entire trip. A bit of brake adjustment was required (you gotta love rear drum brakes), and the gearshift lever was in the wrong spot for my big hoofers. But with only five cogs in the box and 41.3Nm peaking at just 4000rpm, changing gear was something of…

 TEAM EXTREME’S ROUTE consisted of everything from tarmac, to gravel roads, to 4WD tracks and even muddy forest single tracks. Moderately challenging even for experienced adventurists, this option would only suit L-platers who have ridden off-road prior to getting a road licence. Anyone with no previous dirtbike form would be best to go the way of Team Gravel Dash for their first few forays off-road, then move on to tougher terrain as skills develop. Doing an off-road or adventure-riding training course is a good way to gain an understanding of the skills required, and then it’s just a matter of putting it into practice and getting a feel for the surface moving unpredictably beneath your wheels. By taking the plunge into the world of trail riding or long distance off-road…

When Troy Corser took his final Superpole trophy in 2010 at Misano, his career total of high-pressure pre-race ‘wins’ rose to a giddying 43. It has since been looked at as one of those records that is unbeatable or unattainable. I mean, who could run that total down when even the other Aussie WSBK legend Troy Bayliss ‘only’ managed 26 by the time he retired? But if Tom Sykes keeps going the way he is now, the 2013 World Champion from England is well on schedule to relegate the retired Corser’s total into second place, having already screamed past Bayliss’s tally some time ago to reach 37. So how does Sykes, the modern day prince of the Superpoles, do it? Quickly, of course… With only one Superpole trophy earned per…

THE CALL RECENTLY came in from our mates at Online Racing Spares to let us know that the last pieces of bling for the MT-07 had finally arrived – the Yammie revamp was going to be complete! So what had taken so long? Well, it turns out these Puig items – the matte black belly pan, $299.95, and the folding clutch and brake levers, $285 – are some of the most sought after in the Online Racing Spares catalogue. And no wonder. With the number of MT-07s on the road, it’s only natural that owners would want to make their bikes stand out from the pack. Now that the final touches have been made, the effect is impressive. The lines of the new belly pan run parallel to those of…

The smallest class was as lively as Moto2 was dull, and equally drenched. And with a surprise winner – John McPhee (SaxoPrint Peugeot), the first Scotsman to win a GP since Bob McIntyre in 1962. A little bit of history also for Mahindra, makers of the rebadged Peugeot, with Jorge Martín (Aspar Mahindra) finishing second – a one-two for the MGP3O. It was all at the expense of runaway title leader Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM). He’d claimed pole in the dry, but took a couple of laps to get going on the streaming track, taking over the lead from Martin on lap six. McPhee went with him, and continued to stalk him as they opened up a little gap. Arón Canet (EG Honda) was now harrying Martin, while fellow…

AUSSIE JASON DOYLE became the first rider this season to win two rounds of the Speedway Grand Prix series with a stunning last corner pass to claim victory in the MIB Nordic Gorzow FIM Speedway Grand Prix of Poland on 27 August. The win moves Doyle into second place in the championship, just seven points behind leader Greg Hancock and one point ahead of defending champion Tai Woffinden, whom he stormed around in the final. If Doyle’s form continues, there’s a real chance he will move into the title lead over the remaining four rounds, and be crowned world champion at the season finale in Melbourne on 22 October. The purpose-built Edward Jancarz Stadium in Gorzow always turns on a show, and the 2016 round was no exception — capped…

AUSTRALIA’S SPEEDWAY ‘JOEYS’ have scored their best finish by claiming the silver medal in the final of the 2016 FIM Team Speedway Under-21 World Championship staged at Norrkoping, Sweden on 20 August. Beating Poland was always going to be a tall order, but the Australians did lead early in the meeting before the Poles took control in the latter stages. Current Speedway GP rider Bartosz Zmarzlik and Pawel Przedpelski, who were part of the winning team in Mildura last October, both dropped just one point in their five rides to spearhead the Polish scoring, and their ultimate seven-point advantage over the Australians. Jake Allen proved the surprise star for Australia with 13 points, including three of the four heat wins for the team. Max Fricke, Brady Kurtz and Jack Holder…

ZAC LEVY (PUMA RV) put in a faultless performance at the fourth round of the YZF-R3 Cup championship held at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit last weekend, scoring a hat-trick of wins to move into the championship lead with just one round to run. The penultimate round of the inaugural R3 Cup series was run as a support class to the second round of the Victorian Road Racing Championship, allowing the series an opportunity to compete on the famous Victorian circuit. Callum Alderson (Jobbox), who was the championship leader going into the round, endured an action-packed meeting. After crashing out of the opening R3 race, Alderson then injured his arm in another off while competing in the Supersport category aboard the AARK Racing Honda CBR600. He bounced back to…

THESE ARE THE first images of Ducati’s all-new 939 Supersport model captured in the wild, following the glimpse we caught of the bike during World Ducati Week (News AMCN Vol 66 No 01), where pictures were leaked despite the strict closed-room, no-pictures policy. But while the S version seen at Misano had Öhlins suspension at both ends, this bike is fitted with a Marzocchi fork and an Öhlins rear shock. That’s in line with the usual distinction between base and ‘S’ versions of Ducati machines, so it makes sense that this is the entry-level 939 Supersport. Despite being a mixture of existing components (see breakout), the Supersport promises to be an exciting machine. It enters an arena of inexpensive, all-rounder sportsbikes the firm exited a decade ago when the 1000SS…

HARLEY-DAVIDSON HAS officially revealed the new four-valve-per-cylinder Milwaukee-Eight engine that will power the firm’s 2017 Touring range. While eight-valve V-twins aren’t new to Harley – the DOHC Street 750 and 16-year-old V-Rod both sport four-valves-per-cylinder – the Milwaukee-Eight is notable as being the first of the firm’s classic Big Twin engines to use the idea. It remains air-cooled and, despite twice the valve count of its predecessors, it sticks to pushrods and swaps the old Twin Cam’s two camshafts for a single one mounted directly above the crankshaft. Over the next few years it will replace the Twin Cam engine that powers the majority of the firm’s range. While the firm has released pictures of the engine and details of the bikes it will power in 2017, further information is…

TRIUMPH SEEMS TO have no end of variations for its new water-cooled Bonneville line-up, but the most intriguing is the little-seen bobber version. While it’s been spotted testing on a couple of occasions, the low-slung single-seater has remained in the shadows as Triumph proudly unveils other variations. Now, however, trademark applications confirm the bike is on the way and that it will simply be called the Bonneville Bobber. The application is currently under examination and, assuming there are no objections and the powers-that-be decide that it’s a viable trademark and not too generic, then it will be used as the final name for the forthcoming bike. The reason the Bobber is lagging, is it has its own unique chassis. Still tubular steel, it features a faux-hardtail rear end with a…

Whoomp, there it is! MV Agusta has unveiled its much-anticipated F4Z project, the F4-powered concept developed in conjunction with Milan-based design house Zagato. Looking very much like an MV underneath all that plastic, with a USD fork, single-sided swingarm and the 1000cc F4 engine mounted in a trellis chassis, the Zagato-developed bodywork is, let’s just say, unconventional. The red, silver and gold colour scheme is oh-so MV, but that’s where it ends. What do you think, beauty or beast? 37 That’s how many Superpoles WSBK rider Tom Sykes has taken. Who’s the closest to him in the paddock and how many have they scored? See our feature on page 102 for the answer. THINK PINK John McCabe has designed a special racebike and helmet livery in a bid to raise more…

“I had a laundry list of reasons why we shouldn’tdo it” Motorcycles are once again a must-have accessory for Hollywood’s rich and famous. However, there’s one box office bigtimer about to turn 52 for whom motorcycles are not just a fashion but a way of life – Keanu Reeves. Since 2011 he’s been the co-proprietor of his own motorcycle manufacturing company, Arch Motorcycle Company in Hawthorne, California. And while many other actors take the limo, Reeves rides a bike everywhere and anywhere 24/7. In doing so he’s suffered his fair share of injuries, including a ruptured spleen, some broken teeth, and both arm and leg fractures – mostly lowsides that he’s humble enough to admit came from rider error in the course of covering hundreds of thousands of miles on…

On 7 October 1910 Clara Wagner, a young woman living in St Paul, Minnesota entered a 350-mile endurance race between Chicago and Indianapolis put on by the American Federation of Motorcyclists (FAM). As you’d probably guess, back then the journey between the two mid-western cities wasn’t as easy as gunning down a modern interstate, but a grim slog over narrow roads that in places were little better than dirt tracks. The 18-year-old Clara, riding a drop-frame four horsepower bike designed specifically for women by her father, manufacturer George Wagner, completed the arduous route with a perfect score. But not being the most enlightened of organisations, the FAM told Clara – no doubt exhausted from her epic win – that being a woman she was to forget any chance of getting…

I KNEW THE LAMS adventure ride was coming up, but it had been so hectic at Gassit HQ I hadn’t been able to give it much thought. The day before the ride it dawned on me that I still didn’t know what bike I would be riding. And when I pulled up at the office, I found out why Youngy had been so coy. Sitting front and centre was a shiny toffee apple red Boulevard S40, and giggling away like a naughty schoolboy was the bloke I used to hold in such high regard. What the hell did I do to upset Youngy? Why would he be so cruel? Everybody else was on cool bikes and I was stuck with a little candy coloured cruiser. Oh well, being the new…

 WHEN WE DREW straws for bikes before our LAMS adventure, I was quietly confident that I’d scored the pick of the pack with Honda’s CB500X. Its comfortable upright riding position, long-legged stance and trademark reliability make it ideal for tackling a long journey over mixed terrain. And with an average fuel consumption of around 3.5L/100km it’s little wonder it’s popular with continent traversing adventure folk the world over. I couldn’t wait to get back on the dirty stuff Honda is clearly very proud of its 471cc parallel twin and has used it to power three different LAMS models. The CBR500R is a race-oriented supersport bike ready for the track, while the naked CB500F boasts café-cool styling for the street. At the other end of the spectrum is the CB500X, a…

 WITH ANY LUCK, after reading this feature you will feel a seed of adventure starting to spread its roots in your mind. You might be thinking about visiting Kevington, like we did, or somewhere completely different. You might be riding a LAMS bike like us, or already have a big-bore beast, many years’ experience and tens of thousands of kays under your belt. Whatever your bike, your location and your stage of riding, the idea behind this test was to inspire everyone to get out there and explore this country which is jam-packed with two-wheeled adventures. There’s one thing you should definitely not leave home without... Our LAMS angle is to show new riders who have a travel itch that all manner of bikes can be an adventure bike. Here…

WE WERE SO blown away by Yamaha’s WR250R when it showed up for our recent LAMS adventure in the Victorian High Country that we just couldn’t bear to part with it! When the going got tough the little Yamahammer’s lightweight chassis and torquey motor came to the fore, making it the weapon of choice for our crusty demons on tour. So, after far too many frothy beverages at Kevington, a diabolical plan was hatched to add the little blue and white dirt devil to our normally road-biased long-term fleet. Why buck the status quo by bringing a two-wheeled tractor into the fold you ask? Well, despite appearances, the WR250R is no run of the mill off-roader – its sleek enduro-inspired design and liquid cooled, fuel-injected 250cc DOHC four-stroke engine allow…

JACK MILLER HAS the past three weeks on the Isle of Man undergoing an intense stint of training and rehab in an effort to get his mind and body into shape before this weekend’s British Grand Prix. Mountain course cycling with Brno GP winner Cal Crutchlow as well as sessions in a hyperbaric chamber were planned for Miller, who was forced to sit-out the Czech Republic round on 21 August. The break has given the young Aussie a further two weeks to recover from back and wrist fractures he suffered in a brutal warm-up session crash at the Austrian Grand Prix on 14 August. “I was pissed off not being able to ride in Brno – you always want to race,” Miller said, watching from trackside. “I’m only 21 and…

ROMANO FENATI’S SKY VR46 KTM remained forlornly vacant at Brno, and the 20-year-old’s career in hiatus, after his race-eve suspension from the Austrian GP a week earlier. A statement from the Rossi-owned team before practice began in the Czech Republic confirmed that the split was permanent, after three years, and announced that for the Silverstone round, and for the rest of the season, his place in the three-rider team would be taken by Lorenzo Dalla Porta. A hasty rescue attempt by the Italian Ongetta Rivacold Honda team came to nothing, when HRC blocked their attempt to offer the seven-time GP winner a bike for the Brno race. The main reason appears to be contract complications, according to sources close to Honda. Plans have now been put on hold until next…

AFTER 10 ROUNDS and 19 races, it all came down to the final MX1 and 250cc races of the season to determine Australia’s MX champions. With arguably the most stacked fields in recent history, the fight for the title went right down the wire at Coolum, Queensland. In MX1, just one point separated Dean Ferris and Kirk Gibbs going into the final moto of the year, after Ferris took the Superpole and Moto 1 win. The math was simple: whichever rider crossed the line first would take the championship. Gibbs grabbed the holeshot early before Todd Waters caused a mix-up, as he made his pass into the lead. Ferris was left to battle it out with Gibbs and made his pass mid-race. Gibbs slowly dropped off the back of Ferris…

THE FIM ENDURANCE World Championship (EWC) series culminated at the Oschersleben Motorsport Arena on 27 August. Australian Broc Parkes and local IDM rider Marvin Fritz of the YART Yamaha Official EWC Team secured pole position for the race, but it was bittersweet with teammate Bradley Smith declared unfit to race following his crash in Free Practice on Thursday. Race day was action packed from the beginning with searing track temperatures catching several top teams out in the early stages. Gregory Leblanc (Team SRC Kawasaki) retired after just five laps with an engine failure, and the F.C.C. TSR Honda team were next to withdraw when they suffered a mechanical issue on the 72nd lap much to the disappointment of Australian racer Damian Cudlin and his teammates. The YART Yamaha Official EWC…

In a clever and cost-effective move, the ‘new’ bike is actually not that new. The chassis is pure Monster 1200, including the single-sided swingarm. For the engine, Ducati has wandered over to the Hypermotard parts shelves and grabbed the latest Euro 4 emissions-friendly version of its Testastretta engine. Confusingly, it’s actually 937cc, and in the Hypermotard makes 83.1kW at 9000rpm and 97.9Nm at 7500rpm. The output figures in the Supersport guise are likely to be much the same. Ride-by-wire, traction control, multiple riding modes and all the other electronic gadgetry we’ve come to expect will, of course, be standard.…

TWO NEW VERSIONS of BMW’s RNineT are on the way – their existence revealed by type-approval documents. Paperwork filed with the California Air Research Board shows that BMW’s 2017 line will include the ‘RNineT Pure’ and ‘RNineT Racer’. The documents reveal that in terms of emissions and performance the machines don’t differ from the existing models, indicating all four will be mechanically identical. We already know that BMW will introduce a new retro off-roader based on the RNineT, evoking the original R80 G/S, previewed in the form of the Lac Rose concept. However, given the power of the GS moniker it seems more likely it will be called the RNineT GS – a name that doesn’t yet appear on the documents. The new Racer is expected to be a café-racer…

1985 Yamaha FZ750 Yamaha threw down the gauntlet to its rivals with the FZ750. Known as Genesis in some markets, it was in the works for six years and proved a popular and long-lasting model around the world. It was a quantum leap up from the 750 Seca, and the FZ's genes would live on in the YZF models that came later. The FZ arrived in the dying days of the 16-inch front wheel fad, but the handling wasn't as wayward as many of its rivals. Yamaha specified 12,000km oil change and 40,000km valve adjustment intervals. What it’s got The FZ750 has an across-the-frame 749cc liquid-cooled DOHC four, made narrower by tucking the alternator behind the cylinders. Five valves aspirate each cylinder via four 34mm Mikuni carbies and six gears…

RIP Supersport? I really connected with your ‘600cc Supersport: Is this the end’ story (Vol 66 No 04). I own a lot of bikes from 65cc to 1300cc, and after many years of riding there are phrases in reviews that I have learnt mean I won’t like the bike. In the past I have sometimes wanted so much to like certain bikes that I bought them anyway, only to realise that I could never really connect with them. These phrases include “maximum torque occurs low in the rev range, where you use it”, as well as “no need to change gears” and the one to watch out for most, “this bike prefers not to rev, it rewards short-shifting”. Annoyingly I’ve been through this before. Back in the late 80s I…

I’m all for our newest road users learning what real stopping is all about Servicing First service 500km Service intervals thereafter 1500km, 3000km then every 3000km BACK IN JUNE Australian company Sol Invictus launched the new Nemesis, a 400cc single cylinder retro-inspired model, which serves both as a cool little commuter and a base for an affordable custom build. Styling-wise the Nemesis is a cross between an early 1980s trail bike and a retro roadbike. Assisting with the classic looks are chrome-spoked wheels and chrome mudguards. The headlight, indicators, and tail light are all basic fare, which helps the bike hit its attractive price point. Sitting in front of the dirtbike-style handlebar is a basic analog two-clock instrument panel. On the right is a tachometer with fuel and high-beam light;…

THE CHANCE TO catch up with Keanu Reeves after missing him when I visited the Arch Motorcycles factory in Los Angeles to ride the bike that he and business partner Gard Hollinger had created, came a few weeks later when we found ourselves pitted right next to each other for three days at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Keanu, how did your passion for bikes get started? I was 22 and doing a picture in Munich, and this young girl at the sound stages had an enduro bike. I asked her if I could ride it and she coached me. When I got back to Los Angeles, I bought a KLR600. I rode that for a little bit, and then I got my first Norton. I hear you’re a Norton…

On yer bike! AMCN’s current series of LAMS group tests came in response to the increasing market share of learner legal bikes. It got us wondering how many of these new riders are experiencing all the fun that motorcycling has to offer. You don’t need the latest and greatest – or even necessarily a bike that fits into the stereotyped riding genres of touring or adventure – to have a go at a ride that will challenge your skills, expand your horizons and open up a world of adventure. If you’re not in on the action, you should be! TEAM GRAVEL DASH Rider: Chris ‘trail boss’ Dobie Bike: Royal Enfield Classic Battle Green TEAM ROAD WARRIORS Rider: Dazz ‘not as dirty as some – but pretty darn close’ Kersey Bike:…

A ROAD WARRIOR, that’s what I was, according to Youngy. As I studied the map I contemplated what looked like a pleasant three-and-a-bit-hour run from Warburton to Kevington, although a couple of sections seemed to ‘bulge’. I zoomed in, and that’s when I saw them – the twisties. The sections over the Reefton Spur, and especially around Lake Eildon, looked like the lines on a scribbly gum. It’s the kind of thing that fills experienced riders with glee, but for a learner who goes around the sum total of two proper bends on his trip to work, it also spells trepidation. ‘Road worrier’ might have been a better name for my half of the team. But as the sun came up at Warburton, excitement began to get the upper hand.…

 YOUNGY IS A bit of a freak. Point him at a hill, no matter how steep (to me it looks like a sheer vertical, but in reality it must be all of 30º), and up he goes. What’s more, he flies up it like he’s riding a proper 450 enduro, even though he’s on the donkey DR650. Bugger. And don’t get me started on what he can do on the road and a set of corners. Lucky for me in the straw drawing contest I got both tall straws, and bagged the WR250R and Youngy as my teammate. For our adventure we chose the path less travelled. The smallest bike had the biggest heart The Yamaha made perfect sense as we departed on our cold ride out of Warburton, past…

There is a distinct ‘Man from Snowy River’ feel to the area Dargo High Plains, Vic ESSENTIALS The Dargo General Store has fuel, including PULP, and there are fuel options available at either end of this route. The store also carries basic bike service items including chains, brake pads, tyres, bearings and oils, as well as maps of the area. The Dargo Hotel has cabin and bunkhouse accommodation, as well as food. They often cater for bike touring groups who use it as a base to stay a few days and explore the local area. The general store is well stocked for everything else you might need and also has good accommodation options. Fix It There are several good bike shops on the Princes Highway throughout the Gippsland region but…

I DID READ somewhere in AMCN that the BMW S1000XR was labelled as an Adventure Sports motorcycle. Well, I’ve been getting out and about on the XR quite a bit since it joined our long-term fleet, and I’m not sure how accurate that is. For me this bike stands out as an excellent Sports Tourer – tall, nice wide ’bars, super comfy, great upright riding positon, and goes like stink when you kick her in the guts. She may be a little heavy, but that’s a good thing when you are smashing through the twisty bits. With the weight a little higher and a nice 17-inch front wheel, a quick flick of the wide bars and she dips in beautifully. The weight and height have only been an issue while…

1 Weather the Storm Monza Imports $449.95 (03) 8327 8888 monzaimports.com.au The RST Paragon V is an adventure/ touring jacket with a Teflon-coated Maxtex and Ballistic nylon outer. It has multiple vents, removable Sinaqua waterproof membrane, a removable full-length thermal liner, shoulder, elbow and back protectors, loads of pockets and comes in S-5XL sizes in various colours. 2 Get a Solid Grip Held Australia $270 (02) 9719 8890 heldaustralia.com.au Held Solid Dry gloves are made from Taslan (100 per cent polyester) with kangaroo leather palms. A breathable and waterproof Gore-Tex membrane keeps your hands dry, and stretch fabric panels keep them comfy. There’s knuckle protection and reinforced material on the thumb. Sizes 7-12. 3 Easy Tension Andy Strapz $55 (03) 9786 3445 andystrapz.com Chain Monkey is the easiest way…

All praise for weather. All praise for history. And all praise for great motorbike racing. There was plenty of all three at Brno, with surprise winners in all three classes, and the most unexpected of all in MotoGP, where Cal Crutchlow made a bold gamble on tyres and rode an even bolder race. He became the first Briton to win a premier-class grand prix since Barry Sheene in Sweden in 1981, fully 35 years ago. In fact, the LCR Honda rider said it had been a bit of a cruise. He had charged through to the lead on the 16th of 22 laps of the majestic 5.40km Masaryk circuit, after starting from 15th position on the grid. Once in the lead he received constant signals from his pit to slow…

It was an austere and challenging race for the middle class, with a minimum of overtaking and the top three settled after just four laps. The interest came from the twist in the championship, with pole starter Johann Zarco (Ajo Kalex) quite out of sorts in the wet, finishing 11th; and his main rival Álex Rins (Páginas Amarillas Kalex) claiming 20 points to close the gap to just 19. There was a frisson also from Australian wildcard Anthony West, riding a four-year-old Suter, the only one on the grid. He qualified last and then used his legendary wet-weather skill to push through from 29th to 10th, one place up on Zarco. Victory went to another good man in the wet, Jonas Folger (Dynavolt Kalex). Zarco led into the first corner,…

RIDERS WERE SUBJECT to diabolical conditions for Round 16 of the MXGP on the entirely man-made circuit at Assen in the Netherlands. The track was heavy with sand, and quickly deteriorated on Sunday after massive downpours prior to the first event. MXGP red plate holder and class rookie Tim Gajser (Gariboldi Honda) needed just a single point over second-placed Antonio Cairoli (Red Bull KTM) to forge an unassailable lead in the championship. Unfortunately, a disastrous round put paid to that notion. Instead, the Italian veteran finished up the weekend by clawing back points and reducing the overall deficit to 65 points. In Race 1 Cairoli scored the holeshot, but Shaun Simpson (Wilvo Virus Performance KTM) was on a flyer and quickly passed him for the lead. On lap three Cairoli…

MUCH TO THE jubilation of his countrymen, Rockstar Husqvarna team leader Pablo Quintanilla celebrated his fourth consecutive Atacama Rally victory, the penultimate round of the 2016 FIM World Cross-Country Championship. The event is seen as a form guide for Dakar, even though, for the first time since 2009, Chile will not feature in the 2017 Dakar event. Finishing the final stage a mere five seconds behind Quintanilla, Australia’s Red Bull KTM rider Toby Price was the first to offer his congratulations with a ‘mano a mano’ bike-to-bike hug on the finish line – both riders were happy to greet the final chequer. Price had held a 1m26s lead going into the final 104km stage and had started two minutes ahead of the Chilean. But by mid-distance Quintanilla was in Price’s…